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Regional Plan Association Statement on Amazon's selection of Long Island City for HQ2 Site

November 13, 2018

New York -- Regional Plan Association's President Tom Wright said today, “Amazon settling in Long Island City has the potential to be a great boon for New York’s economy. It builds on historic investments and strategies for expanding the city’s economy, including the Cornell/Technion campus on Roosevelt Island.

But the deal needs to be structured as a win-win for the company and community. First, subsidies should be in line with what the City offers other companies. Second, the City and State must hold the company accountable for being a part of the solution to create better infrastructure to accommodate the rapid influx of over 25,000 workers. That means building housing to help mitigate displacement; helping create real transportation solutions; and, since Amazon is developing its campus in one of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods for climate change, including real storm preparedness as part of its campus plan.

This news also brings added urgency to the Governor’s commitment to implement congestion pricing to fund much needed fixes to our transit system.”